New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-25
A BADLY CROWDED ASYLUM.
INCREASE IN THE CRIMINAL INSANE.

FEARS FOR THE SAFETY OF THE INMATES OF THE
STATE ASYLUM AT AUBURN.
ALBANY, March "a. An effort will be made TINS
week BY the State Prison authorities to get the Legs
ature 10 take favorable action the report OF the
commission appointed to determine the best method OF
providing additional accommodations tor The State III
sane criminals The need for action Is 80 urgent that
unless additional accommodations are PROVIDED soon
some of these criminals will have to be set at large
Tn. asvlum tor the insane criminals Ia AZ Auburn anu
is connected with the State Prison there ~ was
established in 1887 in order to proyade place 'Ot
phy scans and others for place to send the criminal
insane so that the inmates OF the ordinary asyums
should not be Obliged 10 T.n PRISON m
spectors with an intention OF accommodating only
sixty patients and these to be all men, Its srue-
tura arrangements were those OF prison ra'ner tnah
m insane ASYLUM An addition ~as made In 1874,
providing accommodations altogether Tor I4o panents
The present number OF inmates Is between TWO anu
three hundred and there are large number awaiting
admission. There patients IN nearly every
ROOM and extra beds placed In the ward corrdors
nightly The for attendants and other
employees is ridculously inadequate Overcrowdiug Is
evil the consequences OF which are TO he DREADED IN
any asylum and dor bly, in this institution where
there is such large proportion OF patients VINO are
subject to homicda and other dangerous tendencies
DR.. Carlos F. Macdonald, the weii-kn0wh eAperl'
who is the medical superintendent OF TINS asyiuh'
speaking OF the matter recently, Said:
al am in a constant state of apprehension lest a
homisde may. occur; and it relief be not promptly
granted shall nave 10 nOthy Tue
peuiten:iares State Reornatoy and the other Siate
asylums from all of winch institutions we receive
patients that no be received; except as
vacancies may occur This is state OF affairs when
ought not exist but the difficulty is to get the pup
iIc and legislators interested i'll the matter -,
superintendent Baker called the attention OF INC
Legislature last yea to the matter ana ". oin,,n,
president of tho State Board of Health, Controller
Chaplin and Dr.. Macdonald were appointed commis.
SION to rer ort on the matter They have made report
urging the immediate purchase ct farm and the cree
ton of buildings on Il for the accommodation OF the
criminal insane. They strongly condemn the present
building as wholly inadequate and badly located be,
inC in the immediate vicinity of three railways and oil
numerous manufacturing establishments. DE- Mac
Donald has experimented with od results by sending
some patients out in the care OF keepers TO work on
farms and tins method OF employing the insane IL
warmly commended. The urgent need OF new ouiid-
ing and the advisabty OF purchasing farm, as REQ
commended in the commissions report mas also peeh
siren gthened by letters from the State Commissioners
in Lunacy, the president OF tho Prison Association
president Of the State Board Of Charities the state
Charities Aid Association and asylum and prison
officials in general. The expense VIII be aoout
$500, 900. The present building can be used iof
female prison. and it will be nee led tor that purpose
there eighty women conviets belonging 10
the State in the New-York City Penitentiar, alone
while the State is paying Kings and other coun'es
also for the care OF such convicts.
The need OF action by the Legislature is very great
and Superintendent Baker is anxious that the putiic
should understand that the responsibility Tor tue iai
ure to act will be upon his shoulders as tho Legs
haaa m orm